Automatic calf feeder



M. NEUMANN'.

AUTOMATIC CALF FEED ER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-6,1920.

Patented May 30, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

m mmili-i jli m ri i ilil jifl iilililiil M. NEUMANN'.

AUTOMATIC CALF FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED Auc.6. 1920. 1,417,554.

3sHEETs-sHEET Mt NEUMANN. I

AUTOMATlC CAL-F FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-6,1920.

Patented May 30., 1922.

. a SHEETS-SHEET a.

r *r 8 J; 23 I I J0 I I I 43 T all whom it may concern:

"" YELQ ETE v MA H NEUMANNL'OF b w I NE TA wo n-o CALIF EED Be it known that I, Mi- 'r-H NEUMANN, a .citizen of the United States, residing at St. Cloud, "in the county of Stearns and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Calf- Feeders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a :fullfcleajr, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others, skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. My present invention relates to automatic calf feeders of the type disclosed f'a'nd broadly claimed in" my two United States Patents, #1,276,946,' issued August 27, 1918, and #1,325,035,issued- December 6, 1915). I To the above end, the-[inventionconsists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined'in the claims.- p i I In the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters'in'dicate like parts throughout the several views.

' Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved calf feeder;

' Fig. 2 is a plan view of thesame,

Fig. 3 is an-end elevation;

' F ig. 4 is a plan view of the supplemental frame andpail holders; Figisis a front elevation of the same; "Fig. 6 is a fragmentary rear. elevation of the 'supplementalframe; and

Fig.1 7 is a view in vertical section taken onthe line 7-,7 of Fig.4,"on an enlarged scale, The frame of the improved calf feeding apparatus includes four corner posts 8 connected by rails 9 each of said posts comprising a pair of laterally spaced members.

by the posts'8, and constitute a part ofthe frame, The rails1 0 are rearwardlyinclined, and mounted thereon is a pair of wheelequipped travellers 1.2, Whilethe lower rails 11 are horizontal and have thereon a pair of sliding travellers 13. These travellers 12 and 13 are connectedoneach side of the frame, for simultaneous travelling movement on the respective rails,v by endless sprocket chains 14, in which said travellers are interposed." Both chains 14 are driven from an upper,shaft ljournaled in the rear post 8 above the. upper rails 10, and 'have secured thereto, between the members ofsaid wa snteek whe -16 whieea n d MeY O, 19212. pp i t fi A s ,1920. Serial No. 401 211 chains run. Thesprocketchains14 also run I over front and rear idle rollers'fl'? and E18 ournaled to and between the posts As shown, the shaft '15 is operated by a ha'nid crank 19 ma held, with thef'traveller's 1T2 and 13, in d fi'erentpositions" byfp airs of a h t 1 1 h h t*. ;:andiwp i' 'd0gs 211pivoted'lto the -rear posts 8; 1 Rigidly secured to th e jiniier faces of the travellers 12 and 13 22 and 23,respe ctively.

r b'f the We le 9 a f u lar supplemental frame 24ha ing t i s v,

trunnio'ns journaledsaid travellers I12 and-the disks 22. A"'pair' of horizontally dispose-d shaped: secondary scale 216 have their arms ntermledi'ately*fulcrumed to the frontfand rear"memhersofthesupplemental' frame 24. Skeleton ,pail holders are arranged engage the, supplemental frame 24 to limit the downwardmovement ofsaid" pail holders" and support the same are turned towarkl eachother, andfunfderly;

against swinging movement onthesecond aryscale'beams 26L Pails" 29 jareremova y+ held in the pail holders 27 Thejtransverfse portions of the secondary j soa'le beams" 26 ing the same is a pair of gradu'ated primary Y scalebeam's30 fulcrumedtobrackets, 31 on f the front member of the, supplemental frame 24. Links 32 intermediatelyconnect the; pri-; v mary scale beams to'thetrans'verse portions 4 of the secondary scaleflbeamsl 26. A shift 1 able poise 33 is mounted on" each primary scale beamBO.

' Slidinglatches 34;aremountedj in keepers on the supplemental frame 24 forco jope'ration with the notched disks 22 to ho'l.d'-fsaid supplemental 'fra'me'in different oscillated 1 0 positions. These latches 34 are simultane ously operated by fingers 85 thatare interlocked therewith andcarried by a rock. r,

shaft 36, journaled bearingsf on the sup% plemental frame 24 and provil v "with fa hand piece 37, whichsaidrockshaft may be operated. The free ends of the primary scale beams' 30 work in, slotted guidesf38,

secured tothe back" member or the 'sup ple mental frame24, andare held withpthe pail holders- 27 "in theirlowermost position'fby gravity-actuated lock "plates 39, pivoted h i upp en we ui es/stan er ing apertures to receive said free ends of the primary scale beams. To simultaneously operate the lock plates 39 to release the pri'- mary scale beams 30, the same'are provided with upwardly projecting fingers 40, which I To hold the rockshaft 42 in different set positions, the crank 43 thereof isarr'anged for cooperation, under spring action, with a notched lock plate 44 secured to the plemental frame 24.

J A milk-holding'trough 45 is carried by thefsupplemental frame 24, at the back thereof, andpriovided at its bottom with discharge spouts 46 arranged to delivermilk from said trough into [the pails 29. Normally, the spouts 46 are closed by valves 47 having yoke-like stems48, the armsof which are mounted in guides 49, on the trough 45, and, arranged to be engaged by trips 50 formed by extending therear arms of the secondary scale beams 26. v In the bottom of the trough 45 is a normally closed drain 51, under which is, located a discharge spout 52 secured to said trough. v

v A feed trough 53, for meal or other dry food, is carried by the travellers 13 and provided at its ends with trunnions 54 journaled in the notched disks 23 and travellers 13. This trough 53 is held in differentoscillated positions by means of a sliding latch 55 mounted in keepers on'the travellers 13 for .co-operation with the notched disks 23. These latches-55 are simultaneously operated by fingers 56, which are flexibly interlocked therewith, and carried by a rock shaft 57 journaled in bearings on said travellers 13. The'rockshaft 57 is provided witha the; supplemental frame into a position to' hand piece 58, by which it may be operated.

v Operation.

' Thev operation of the above described inventlon'may be briefly described as follows: Before feeding takes place, the pails 29 are outof the pail holders 27, and the supplemental frame 24 and trough 53 are in inverted posltions. The operator first turns bring the pail holders intoan upright p0sition. The pails 29 are then placed therein and the poises 33 shifted on the primary 1' tendant may operate thecrank 19 to so position said frame and thereby carry the pails 29, out-of reach of the calves, while said pails are being filled. The attendant may sup- 7 milk to flow into said pails.

then pour milk into the trough 45 and part thereof will flow through the open spouts 46 and into the pails 29.

Under the increasing load of milk in the pails 29, the action of the poises 33 is overcome and the primary scale beams 30 raised.

During the raising movement of the primary scale beams 30, the free ends thereof cam the lock plates 39 outward until they come into registration with the apertures in said lock plates. Said lock plates 39 are then free to swing, under the action ofgravity, into positions to cause the free ends of the priinary scale beams 30 to enter-the apertures therein and thereby automatically lock the said s ale beams against return movement.

The purpose of thus locking the primary scalebeams 30 is to preventthe pails 29 from rising as the weight of the milk is decreased by the calves drinking from said pails,and thereby cause the trips 50 to again openthe valves 47 and allow an, additional supply of After the pails 29 are filled with the milk and further supply thereto cut off by the valves 47, the attendant may operate the .crank '19 to lower the supplemental frame 24 and thereby bring the pails within reach of the calves. 'l his,lowering movement of the supplemental fram'e 24-w1ll, of course, impart a rearward travelling movement to the trough 53, so that it is out of the way. When the pails 29 arein their lowermost positions, the weight thereof comes directly on the supplemental frame 24, through the fingers 28, and thereby .affords a firm support for the pails whilethe calves are drinking.

In case it is desired; to one ofthe valves 47 may be kept closedby lifting the respective primary scale beam 30 and securing the same in a raised position by allowing its lock plate 39 to drop into interlocking engagement therewith. 'While onl two pails are shown, it is, of course, understood that the apparatus may be of such size as to hold any desired numberof pails.

.Meal or other dry food to be fed to the calves, may be placed in the trough 53, and i the crank 19 operated to cause the travellers 12 to move rearward, thereby lifting the pails 29 out of the way and causing the fill only one: pail,

travellers 13 tomove forward and position A the trough at the front of the apparatus,

When the calfxfeeder is not in use, the

pails 29 may be removed from their holders 9 interlocking .the same. therewith tohold said troughs in their emptying positions. "When:

the troughs 45v and 53 are in their emptying positions, they maybe easily cleaned and left in this positionuntil the next feeding time,

thus preventing dirt from settling therein. Any milk remaining in the trough 45 may be removed therefrom, before said trough is turned into an emptying position, by open ing the drain 51 to permit the milk to run into the spout 52, Where it may be caught.

pail holders carried by the supplemental frame.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a frame having two sets of track rails, of two sets of travellers mounted on the track rails, means for simultaneously moving the two'sets of travellers in reverse directions, a supplemental frame carried by one set of the travellers and a trough carried by the other set thereof, pail holders carried by the supplemental frame, and means for locking the travellers in different adjustments.

3. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a frame having two sets of track rails, of two sets of travellers mounted on the track rails, means for-simultaneously moving the two sets of travellers in reverse directions, a supplemental frame and a trough carried by one set of the travel-' lers and a second trough carried by the other set thereof, pails carried by the supplemental frame, said first noted trough being provided with spouts arranged to discharge into the pails, normally open valves under strain to close the spouts, and automatic means for opening the valves and then releasing the same. V

l. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a frame having upper and lower pairs of track rails, said upper rails being inclined, upper and lower travellers mounted on the track rails, cables connecting the travellers for movements in reverse directions, means for operating the cables, a supplemental frame carried by the upper travellers, pails carried by the supplemental frame, a trough carried by the lower travellers, means for holding the cables with the travellers in different adjustments, said supplemental frame and trough being mounted for movement from filling to emptying positions, and means for holding the supplemental frame and trough in filling positions.

5. In an apparatus of the kind described,

the combination with a frame, of'a secondary scale beam fulcrumed to the frame, a swinging pail holder carried by the secondary scale beam, a pail-in the pail holder,- means for supporting the pail holder from the frame in a certain positionthereof to hold the same against swinging movement," j

a primary scale beam fulcrumed to the frame and connected to the'secondary beam, a shiftable poise on the primary scale beam, a trough having a spoutarranged, to discharge into'the pail, a normally open valve under strain to closethe spout, and a trip on the secondary scale beam for opening'the valve during, the upward movement of the pail holder. i

6. In an apparatus. of the kind described, the combination with a frame, of a secondary scale beam fulcrumed to the frame, a

swinging pailholder carriedby the second- ,ary scale beam, a pail in the pail holder,

means for supporting the pail, holder from the frame in a certain position thereof to hold the same against swinging movement,

a primary scale beam fulcrumed to the frame and connected to the secondary beam, a shiftable poise on the primary scale beam, a trough having v a spout arranged to dis charge into the pail, a normally open valve under strain to close the spout, a trip on the secondary scale beam for opening the valve during the upward movement of the pail holder, and a latch plate arranged, to

automatically engage the fprima'ry scale beam and hold the same in a raised positionto prevent return movement, of the pail holder.

7. An apparatus 10f the kind described having. in combination two sets of superposed supports, the upper of which is inclined, two sets of travelers mounted for movement on said supports, animal feeding devices carried by said travelers, and a common means for simultaneously moving said travelers on said supports, one of said-travelers moving forwardly a nd'the other upwardly and rearwardly.

8. The structure set forthin claim 7, and

means for locking said travelers in various positions on said supports. 7

9. The structure set forth in claim 7, said feeding devices being moimted for-pivotal movement on horizontal axes, and means for holding the same in various positions of adjustment about said axes, v

whereof I afiix my; signature In testimony in presence of two witnesses.

d vitnessesz 7 v A, W. CoRWIN, I C. J. GERARD. I a

MATH QNEUMANNQ" 

